Firefighters come to the aid of bull stuck in Crookham Hill farm mud

According to Gareth Evans, Red Watch manager at Tilehurst Fire Station, Reading, around 15 firefighters, including two pumps from Newbury and Tilehurst, plus the animal rescue unit from Caversham Road, Reading, were called at 11am to Chamberhouse Farm, Crookham Hill, where Beefy, a five-year-old bull, was stuck in boggy marshland.
“He was comfortable – but completely stuck – and pretty angry.” said Mr Evans.
After the bull had been sedated by a vet at the scene – Shaun Ferneley, of O’Gorman Slater and Main in Donnington – the firefighters used strops and lines to pull the animal out, with all 15 firefighters hauling at the lines together.
“After digging out the mud and sliding something underneath the bull, we used sheer manpower to pull him out, the ground was too boggy to use any sort of machinery,” said Mr Evans.
“He was a big bull and weighed about a tonne.
After being sedated, he then started to come around, so we got out – quickly,” he added.
Landowner, farmer Michael Barr, said the bull did not belong to him, but was owned by a neighbouring farmer, Chris Austin, who kept cows on his land.
“He keeps some cows down here and they got out of their field,” said Mr Barr.
Bull owner Chris Austin, said Beefy had accidentally walked into a bog. “He went through a leaf mould crust which people could walk about on, but with his more dynamic weight and tiny hooves he got stuck,” said Mr Austin.
“The firefighters did a very good job.”
Firefighters left the scene at around 2pm.
PHOTOGRAPH - ROYAL BERKSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE